Date of Birth: June 26, 1973

Location of Birth: Pocahontas, Illinois

Interesting Facts: Opened for Brooks and Dunn and Montgomery Gentry in the summer of 2004. Had her record release moved up after the success of her number one single.

Albums released: Here For The Party (2004)

Notable Singles:
Redneck Woman
Here For The Party
When It Rains
Homewrecker
Chariot

Gretchen Wilson is undoubtedly a newcomer to the world of country music but in a very short times, she’s done things that haven’t been done in a long time, all while keeping herself squarely rooted to her past. Wilson’s upbringing can be described as harsh or troublesome but it’s definitely something that gave her the strength and determination that is so evident in her music. Wilson’s mother was 16 at the time of her birth and her father abandoned the family when Wilson was 2. Wilson grew up in trailer parks and only completed school through the 8 th grade but always had music as a guiding light of sorts. She worked in a club at age 14 and by the age of 20, she was heavily involved in music. At the age of 23, she made the move to Nashville and years later, she had a successful audition with Epic Records. “Redneck Woman,” an autobiographical tune about her upbringing, was an immediate smash and her debut album, “Here For The Party,” has already eclipsed the 3 million mark for sales. "Redneck Woman" was the first single by a solo female singer to top the Billboard country singles chart in over two years and also reached number one faster than any single in the previous decade. “Here for the Party” also entered the country album chart at number one and the pop album chart at number two with sales of 227,000 copies, the biggest opening week for a new country artist in recent memory.